Huge challenge attracting door staff - Birmingham club owner

Lawrence Barton said staff work long hours dealing with intoxicated people

Nightclubs are facing a huge challenge in recruiting security staff, industry experts said.

The pandemic led to many staff being forced to find new jobs and an increase in violence overall has led to a national shortage.

There have been two fatal stabbings at nightclubs in the West Midlands since December.

Birmingham nightclub owner Lawrence Barton said it was difficult attracting people to the sector.

"You're asking people to work until five or six in the morning, dealing with people that are intoxicated and being problematic socially so it's a challenge to attract people to the sector and for them to be sufficiently paid to make it worth their while," he said.

"There is definitely an increase in anti-social behaviour and violence across society."

Akeem Francis-Kerr, 29, was fatally stabbed at Valesha's nightclub in Walsall, on 11 March. A 39-year-old from Oldbury has since been charged with murder.

Cody Fisher was stabbed on the dance floor of Digbeth's Crane nightclub just before midnight on Boxing Day. Several people have since been charged with murder.

Michael Kill, from Night Time Industries Association, said an increase in violence across society was an industry-wide issue.

"I think people come into this job thinking it's going to be easier than it is," he said.

"There are some other challenges around it, particularly around some of the anti-social behaviour that we're experiencing and the behaviour of customers.

"There is definitely an increase in anti-social behaviour and violence across society."

Doorman Abu Shahajan said many colleagues preferred their jobs after leaving their roles as doorman because of the pandemic.

Michael Kill, from Night Time Industries Association, said there was an increase in anti-social behaviour and violence across society

"When Covid started, nightclubs all shut down so they had to get day jobs, " he said.

"They realised, I'd rather do a day job than deal with all this grief on nights."

The cost of living crisis was also now having an impact on nightclubs, but the deaths put a further focus on the industry, Mr Barton, who owns The Nightingale, said.

"We went through Covid, that was horrendous for it," he added.

"The cost of living and the cost of paying electricity and gas across the sector is a real struggle.

"The only time this sector is really highlighted in this way is when somebody is unfortunately killed or when something goes really wrong.

"We've got an amazing night-time economy in Birmingham, across the whole city, and for the most part people are safe in it."

A spokesperson for the Security Industry Authority said it had run safety campaigns to help door staff and had written to the Crown Prosecution Service to try to get higher sentences for those convicted of assaulting security staff.

It said to try to help tackle the shortage, it had granted a record number of licences in the past year and was working with key industry stakeholders to make the job more attractive.